Are school uniforms a good idea? - examples of school uniform requirements and opinions from educators and students

Current Events, Sept 18, 1995

More and more schools across the country follow dress codes. But some schools have gone beyond clothing guidelines. They spell out what kind of clothing students must wear.

South Shore Middle School in Seattle, Wash., is one example. This fall, students are allowed to wear two colors--navy and white. Principal John German gives these other clothing requirements:

* Boys. "Navy straightlegged pants, no larger than one size bigger at the waist and one inch off the ground. The shirts are white with a mandatory collar and have to be tucked in."

* Girls. "Navy jumpers, skirts, walking shorts, slacks with a white blouse tucked in." Some schools with uniforms see a big change in student behavior. Slightly over a year ago, the Long Beach, Calif., school district began to require uniforms of its students. Acts of school violence declined by half. A police juvenile officer reported: "We don't seem to have a problem with the kids who are in uniform."

A Georgia student is one of a number who welcome wearing a uniform. She said that "the clothes are the stuff I wear anyway."

But others don't see it that way. "Teachers say they want us to be different, and then we all have to dress the same way," complained a student in San Diego.

"They have no right to make it mandatory," said a parent in the same city. "It's against the rights of students and kids."

In the past, the American Civil Liberties Union has objected to school uniforms. "We think ordering school uniforms violates the First Amendment because it impacts on the freedom of expression," said a California ACLU official in 1994.

What do you think? Are school uniforms a good idea?